The Treatment of Unstable Intertrochanter Fracutures of Femur: Comparison between Proximal Femoral Nail and Dynamic Hip Screw

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To analyze the results between PFN (Proximal Femoral Nail) and DHS (Dynamic Hip Screw) on the operative treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures retrospectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 35 cases of unstable intertrochanteric fractures (grouped 24 patients with DHS and 11 patients with PFN) who were taken the operations from Jan. 2001 to Mar. 2002 were analysed regarding to union state, union time, operation time, sliding length of lag screws, blood loss, postoperative complications and functional recovery scores by Sk?vron with ANOVA and multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: The means of union time were 17.9 weeks (DHS) and 17.0 weeks (PFN), sliding length of lag screws were 3.9 mm (DHS) and 2.1 mm (PFN), perioperative blood losses were 743 cc (DHS) and 736 cc (PFN), operation time were 93.4 minutes (DHS) and 102 minutes (PFN), and the functional recovery scores by Sk?vron were 71.8% (DHS) and 76.8% (PFN), respectively. The results of our study indicate that there were not statistically significant differences between PFN and DHS groups in treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures (p>0.05). But, there was less sliding of lag screws in PFN group in statistical significance (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Authors think that PFN is one of the useful implants in treating unstable intertrochanteric fractures of the femur in regarding to sliding.